Spring has finally shown its face in New England and we're all enjoying the warmer temperatures-especially our crew. This month our newsletter will focus on the recently issued Coastal Erosion Commission DRAFT Report and Recommendations, January 2015. Our Beach Notes include some interesting articles in response to the Report.

As many of you know this Commission was established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2013. The Commission was charged to investigate and document the levels and impact of coastal erosion and to develop "... strategies and recommendations to reduce, minimize, or eliminate the magnitude and frequency of coastal erosion, and its... Read More

The Massachusetts Erosion Commission has just released the first draft of its final report. It is a pleasant surprise. The government officials and coastal geologists on the committee had been able to hold the line against the politically appointed members to produce an environmentally sensitive... Read More

When running through the list of solutions for coastal erosion problems, one item always needs to be retreat - the willful abandonment of the coast to the forces of nature causing the erosional issues. It needs to be on the table with all the other engineering and management approaches... Read More

America's coastal nearshore is in need of further integrated research and the nurturing of a "nearshore community" to ensure its fragile resources are being properly managed and protected. That's the conclusion of a recently published extensive report which sprang out of a 2014 workshop engaging academic, industry and governmental stakeholders... Read More

The question is not whether people should be allowed to live on Plum Island, but whether nature will allow people to continue living there. Barrier beach islands must be able to move, pulsate, and grow in order to stay healthy. As soon as you build a groin, construct a seawall, or repair a jetty, you interfere with this natural flow of sand... Read More

A group of local officials has made some pointed criticism of the state's new policy for dealing with coastal erosion, urging the state to give property owners more options to save their beachfront land, and start the public hearing process all over again in order to do a better job seeking the public's viewpoint... Read More